Auburn did more than end a nine-game losing streak against Georgia on Saturday. The Tigers handed Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs an upset that shook their standing in the rankings and put their aura of dominance under the spotlight. And if one Georgia alum is right, the defeat could threaten something far bigger than their ranking.
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While discussing the Kentucky Wildcats’ 2026 schedule on Bleacher Report with Takeo Spikes, former Georgia Bulldogs defensive end David Pollack made a bold declaration about his former team, calling the Bulldogs “probably the most feared team.”
He also suggested that the Wildcats could have a shot at the playoffs, partly because they won’t have to face Georgia.
However, while Pollack clearly rates Kirby Smart’s squad among the best in college football, that doesn’t mean the Bulldogs are above criticism. After reviewing the film of Georgia’s clash against the Auburn Tigers, the former defensive end had a much harsher assessment, ripping into the Bulldogs for what he viewed as a substandard performance.
“Georgia doesn’t turn the football over very often. Not very often, they lose a turnover battle three to zero. How about roughing the passer, some stupid roughing the passer penalties? Last drive of the game. Stupid. They made some bonehead mistakes. Kirby talked about it coming into the game. He was a little bit worried about being beat up,” said David Pollack
His comments appeared to be a direct shot at the Bulldogs’ offense, particularly Gunner Stockton, who arguably delivered his worst performance in a Georgia jersey. The senior quarterback endured a nightmare outing, turning the ball over three times, including two costly interceptions.
What made the collapse even more alarming was how uncharacteristic it was. Across his previous 21 starts, Stockton had never thrown more than one interception in a single game. Against Auburn, however, he suffered a rare meltdown that left Georgia paying the price.
“Terrible throw. Take points off the board. This throw right here, I don’t know what that was. Again, take points off the board. All of these turnovers… All of these in Auburn territory, you take points off the board, off of your side, and you put them on the other side, and that’s how you lose games,” Pollack concluded.
Gunner Stockton finished the game with 272 passing yards on 22-of-34 attempts, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but a costly fumble late in the contest added to Georgia’s mounting woes. The senior quarterback briefly gave the Bulldogs hope with a clutch 94-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to level the score.
However, his late-game heroics quickly unraveled when he coughed up the ball on Georgia’s final possession, handing Auburn the opening it needed to seal a stunning victory with a game-winning field goal.
Georgia entered the Auburn clash riding a six-game winning streak, including a ranked victory over Alabama, with Gunner Stockton gaining momentum after two impressive performances.
He delivered a composed display against Vanderbilt before shining on third downs in the road win over the Crimson Tide, making the Bulldogs’ eventual defeat all the more disappointing.
However, the head coach appears to have no regrets or disappointment over his quarterback’s performance.
“Very unfortunate on the fumble,” Smart said. “If there’s anybody I’d pick to have the ball in their hands, it’d be him because he does a great job with his ball security.”
“I really didn’t get a chance to talk to him. We had to go out and stop him on defense. Saw him in the locker room; his head was up,” Smart said. “I mean, we wouldn’t have been in the position we were in if it wasn’t for Gunner. You know, we wouldn’t have been able to do some of the things we did if it wasn’t for Gunner.”
The bye week arrives at the perfect time for Georgia to regroup and address its costly mistakes. Stockton and the Bulldogs have two weeks to reset, sharpen their execution, and rebuild momentum before their next showdown against the Florida Gators in Atlanta.